Packing tube



Jan. 13, 1959 H. GRoENl-luls 2,868,437

PACKING TUBE Filed April 22, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a 6 /o I 6' ,s 6 e f6 s $.1NVENTOR HARM GRoENHuIs Jan. 13, 1959 H. GRoENHUls PACKING TUBE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1954 I7 if INVENTOR AGENT United StatesPatent 2,868,437 Patented Jan. 13, 1959 PACKING TUBE Harm Groenhuis,Eindhoven, Netherlands, assigner, by

mesne assignments, to North American Philips Company, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Dela-` The present invention relates to a packingtube for containing spaced fragile objects.

The transport of eggs from the egg market to the wholesale dealer andfrom there to the retail trader is usually effected in boxes in whichthe eggs are packed on racks of fibrous material. Thus a verysatisfactory lling factor of the boxes is obtained and the shape of theracks reduces breakage of the eggs to a minimum. With the aid of theseracks the retailer can take the eggs out of the box and store them onstands in his shops. With this packing method the shopkeeper suppliesthe eggs to this customer usually without packing. Since these racks arerelatively costly due to their material and shape, they have a certaincommercial value after having been used; this may give rise tocomplications, for example the return of the packing material.

Packing tubes for eggs, made from a folded sheet of 9 corrugated paper,the ridges of which extend lengthwise inside the tube, are known, it istrue, but they are never used on a large scale. Although this kind ofpacking is cheaper than the first-mentioned racks, it has never beenused intensively probably since breakage of the eggs may occur.

The present invention has for its object to provide a construction ofthis kind of packing tube, which is extremely simple and in which theeggs can be transported substantially without the risk of breakage, ashas been proved by experiments. ln this case, the eggs may be handedover to the customer in their packing; the return of packing materialmay then be omitted, since the packing used is extremelly cheap.

The packing tube of the aforesaid kind, which may be used not only foreggs but also for other damageable objects, has the feature that at `thearea of each of the objectsstored in the tube the corrugated paper layerhas a strip-shaped part extending transversely to the longi-` tudinaldirection of the tube, the corrugations of which have a smaller heightand preferably also a smaller pitch than the corrugations on either sideof such a strip-shaped part. At the boundary area between such astrip-shaped part of corrugations of smaller height and the adjacenttube parts having higher corrugations is formed a number of supportingpoints forming together a contact surface extending transversely to thedirection of length of the tube. The stored object is then supported onthis surface. Due to the fact that on the other side of such astrip-shaped part a similar contact surface is formed in oppositedirection, the stored object is supported in two directions; if the tubesurrounds the stored object intimately, this is found to be suicient forthe object to be held rigidly in the packing. The nature of the packingmaterial also provides an elastic support for the stored objects at thearea of the lower ridges.

If the stored objects are more or less cylindrical, and hence have moreor less distinct end surfaces, the width of such a strip-shaped part maybe chosen to be equal to the distance between two contact surfaces ofthe object. However, if the stored objects are more or less spherical oroval, it is advisable, in accordance with an advantageous embodiment ofthe invention, to provide a dimension of the strip-shaped parts havingridges of smaller height in the direction of length of the tube which issmaller than the dimension of the object stored in the tube at the 4areaof the said part, measured, also in the direction of length of the tube.

If the packing tube according to the invention is used for storing eggs,it is advisable, since the tubes filled with eggs are arrangedvertically in an egg case, to arrange the eggs with their direction oflength at right angles to direction of length of the tube. In this case,in the normal position of the case the eggs are thus not pointingdownwards. v

if the packing according to invention is used for storing a plurality ofsimilar objects, of which the dimensions transverse to the direction oflength of the tube are different, it is advisable in another embodimentof the packing according to the invention, to cut in at least one of theedges of the sheet of corrugated paper from which the tube is made atthe area of the closing edge between two stored objects. Thus at. one orat both edges serving as closing edges of the packing, between the cutsor slots, tongues are formed, which may be used for closing the packing.By means of these cuts the packing may be applied intimately to eachpacked object.

The packing is preferably closed by adhesion; in order to obtain asatisfactory adhesion of the paper sheet it `is advantageous to latten afew corrugations in the prox-` imity of one of the edges of thecorrugated sheet in the direction of the edge concerned and to securethe ilattened part to the outer side of the opposite edge vof the cor-`Vrugated sheet.

Although the starting material for the packing could be made by securingto a smooth substratum side by side strips having a higher and lowerridges, the latter strips having, moreover if desired, a smaller pitchbetween the corrugations, it is to be preferred, in accordance with theinvention, to pass a uniformly corrugated broad strip or paper over atinted roller constructed in a manner such that it has teeth in one ormore parts of its length, the pitch of these teeth being a wholefraction of the pitch of the other parts of the roller.

The packing of the present invention is suitable not only for eggs, butalso for other damageable objects, forA example glass lenses andturntables for sound equipment (the surfaces of which are to beprotected from damage), polished objects and the like. In transportingdamageable objects it is advantages to have a cheap, simple packingavailable, which protects the packed objects from damage.

in order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it willnot be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is an exploded view of a sheet of corrugatedi Fig. 7 is aschematic diagram of an embodiment of a iluted roller on which readymade corrugated paper may i be provided with the strip-shaped partshaving a smallerfV pitch; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the rollerof Fig. 7 taken in the plane VIII-VIII of Fig. 7.

The sheet of packing material shownin Fig. l

is made. t

of corrugated paper, the corrugations 1 of which are parallel to thelongitudinal direction of the tube to be formed. Since this packing isintended for six eggs, the corrugated inner side of the packing exhibitsat six areas astrip-shaped part 2, the corrugations 3 of which (seeFigs. 2 and 3) have a smaller height h from the smooth paper surface 4than the corrugations 5 of the tube parts 6 lying Von either side of thestrip-shaped parts 2; the height or' the corrugations 5 from the smoothpaper surface being designated h1. Thus the head surfaces ot' thecorrugations having the height h1 constitute supporting points for theobject stored in the packing. The contact surfaces thus formed are shownin a front view in Fig. 2 andl in a lateral View in Fig. 3. Fig. 3shows, moreover, an object '7 stored in the packing; it is evident thatdue to the contact surfaces 5 this object is stored immovably in thedirection of length P of vthe tube and due to the corrugations 3 havingthe height h it is supported elastically. Due to the pressure exerted bythe object '7 on the head surfaces of the corrugations 5, these headsurfaces are slightly bent over and, as is shown diagrammatically inFigs. 2 and 3, form a system 5a of slanting surfaces.

Fig. 4 is the front view of a closed tube. From the section between thelines AA and BB it is evident how the eggis supported along its largestdimension' from the corrugations 3 having the smallest height. From theother part of the periphery the peaks of the corrugations 5 of greaterheight thus project and engage the largest sectional area of the egg.The packing shown in Fig. 5 is closed by superposing one of the tongues8 or 9 on the other in a manner such that the egg is engaged intimately,and that the inner side of the tongue 8 engages the outer side of thetongue 9. `The tongues S and 9, which are shown in the exploded view ofFig. l, are formed by means of cuts or slits 10 and 11 in the material.In order to suppress the elasticity of the folded edge, the corrugationsof the Zone C of the tongue 8 are attened towards the edge of thepacking. It would also besuicient to provide cuts only in one of theclosing edges.

It is known that eggs are sorted and sold by weight; this does not meanthat eggs having the same weight have the same external dimensions;differences in length of to 20% are frequent. However, the cuts 10 and11 in the starting material of the packing permit the rigid packing ofeach of the eggs of different lengths in one and the same packing; eachset of the associated tongues 8 and 9 may be pressed so as to engageintimately the egg concerned. This is evident from the lateral view ofthe packing shown in Fig. 5; the sections b contain eggs which arelonger than the eggs contained in the sections a. The aforesaid eggpacking has another advantage in that the use of corrugated paperguarantees an excellent ventilation. In order to facilitate opening ofthe packing, a string may be stuck in one of the corrugations, thisstring projecting at one end from the tube and extending throughout thelength of the tube.

The embodiment of the packing shown in Fig. 6 contains three identicalasks 16. In this packing, the starting material has corrugations of aheight k in the stripshaped parts 17, this height being smaller than theheight k1 of thecorrugations of the other strip-shaped parts 12 of thepacking. In this packing, the more or less abrupt transition between thebottom portion 13 or the top surface 14 and the cylindrical part 15 ofeach ask is utilized to adapt thereto'the length of the strip-shapedparts 17. Furthermore, in this case, cheap packing material provides anextremely efficient packing, in which the stored asks areV heldimmovably. Both in the packing shown in Fig; 4 and in that shown in Fig.6 the packing material may, if desired, be cut between two storedobjects, one object being thus severed in the packing from the other,

' While nevertheless all objects remain in place in the associatedpacking material.

From Fig. 2 it is particularly evident that for the packing materialaccording to the invention corrugated material of which the corrugationsof the strip-shaped parts have only a smaller height and not a smallerpitch than the other parts of the material, may suffice.

The roller shown in Figs. 7 and 8 has ribs 20 extending throughout itslength and having a pitch m, which is equal to the pitch of theuniformly corrugated material to be fed to said roller. At six areasdistributed over the length of the roller, between each pair of teeth ofthe corrugation 2t), in the grooves 21, provision is made of knives 22in a manner such that a corrugation having half the pitch of thecorrugation of the other roller portion is produced at six areas 23throughout the periphery of the roller. `When the corrugated paper issupplied to the roller, the strip-shaped parts of smaller pitch areformed at the area of the zones 23.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific exampleand in a specific embodiment, l do not wish to be limited thereo, forobvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A packing tube of a given longitudinal dimension for containingspaced fragile objects comprising a rolled corrugated sheet, a rolledsmooth sheet having a reference surface contacting said corrugations,the corrugations in said sheet being substantially parallel with saidlongitudinal dimension and having a given maximum height measured fromsaid reference surface and a given pitch dimension, the corrugationsbeing rolled on the inner surface of said tube and each corrugationhaving indentations at selected areas thereon to form a strip-shapedindented part, each of said strip-shaped parts being located in adirection substantially transverse to said longitudinal dimension andforming a compressible contacting rim on the inner surface of said tube,said indented parts including corrugations having over their entirelength a smaller maximum constant height measured from said referencesurface and a smaller pitch dimension than the corresponding maximumheight and given pitch dimension respectively of the corrugations oneither side of said strip-shaped indented parts.

2. A packing tube as claimed in claim l in which the Y substantiallyparallel with said longitudinal dimension," said corrugations beingrolled on the inner surface of said tube and having a given pitchdimension and a given maximum height measured from said referencesurface, each of said corrugations on the inner surface of said tubehaving indentations at selected areas thereon to form a strip-shapedindented part, each of said strip-shaped parts being located in a spacedrelation to another of said parts in a direction transverse to saidlongitudinal dimension and forming a compressible contacting rim on theinner surface of said tube, said indented parts includin-g corrugationshaving over their entire length a smaller maximum constant heightmeasured from said reference surface and a smaller pitch dimension thantheA corresponding maximum height and given pitch dimension of saidcorrugations on either side of the strip-shaped indented parts, and atleast one of said edges having slits therein extending substantiallytransversely to said longitudinal closure means for containing objectsof different shape.

5 4. A packing tube for containing spaced fragile objects of differentshapes as claimed in claim 3 in which said strip-shaped indented partsare spaced in said longitudinal direction and having cormgations ofsmaller height alterl nating with corrugations of greater height.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,013,143 Fairchild Jan. 2, 1912 6 Morton July 27, 1915 Cassell Nov. 1,1932 Kopplernan Dec. 19, 1933 Mascareuhas July 14, 1936 Weber Mar. 8,1938 Koppleman Nov. 1, 1938 Zimmerman Nov. 7, 1939 Conkle i Sept. 23,1952 White Ian. 13, 1953

